Strawberry, Blueberry, and Orange
by BlinkByou
Summary: Just three colors and different tastes. It's called frienship, and it's the way I like it. Oneshot.


A/N: So I decided to write something…happy. I was in the mood and didn't feel like writing something depressing. So I hope you like it, I think it's kind of cute. Remember to review.

XxX

"Kairi wanna taste it?"

I look up from the various puzzle pieces scattered across the floor and look at the bright pink colored object my young cousin has thrust into my face. I can't help but smile at the slobbery little object, as disgusting as it is.

"No, you enjoy it. I'll get my own." I say, standing up to make a point in heading to the kitchen. I couldn't fool the little girl.

"Okay!" She says, following me with the pink object stuck in her mouth.

Ah, lollipops.

They call them a child's guilty pleasure for a reason. Children are always drawn to these treats. I used to love lollipops, and I still sometimes sneak one or two into my bedroom when no one is looking. They aren't that tasty and are often quite bland if you get a bad batch. But I eat them anyway. I guess it's just habit now.

"What color are you gonna get?" My blond cousin asks, staring up at me with her bright blue eyes.

"Red." I say without thinking. I always eat only red lollipops. Ever since I was little I've only eaten red. It was back when I first moved to the islands. Back when days consisted of fun and only fun. When having secret lollipop codes was cool and tasting each others sweets wasn't disgusting. Back when I was eight. Back when I was a child.

XxX

"Kairi, come on!" A little boy's voice was heard from across the beach. "Riku's mom gave him some money." He said after racing across the sandy stretch of land, slipping and falling several times with his huge clumsy shoes.

"Really?" The little red head said, eyes brightening. Both Sora's and Kairi's parents didn't give them money. They said that they were too young and couldn't have an allowance till they reached the age of ten. Riku's parents, however, often gave him small amounts of money to spend as he wished. Because Riku only received small amounts, he didn't like to share his money with the other island children. But Kairi and Sora were an exception.

The two seven year olds made there way over to their older, silver-haired friend who was leaning against a tree. The eight year old liked to pretend he was mysterious and often tried to give off the appearance of disinterest. But Kairi and Sora could see past his resolve. They could tell when Riku was excited about something. His eyes got wider and his lips quivered in attempts to hide his smile.

"What are we gonna get Riku?" Kairi asked, sitting on the tree which made her a considerable amount taller than him. The silver-haired boy scowled and hopped onto the tree followed by Sora. He didn't like to be below people.

"Candy." He said, giving up the effort in hiding his grin.

"Yes!" Sora yelled, pumping a fist. The hyper brunette wasn't allowed to have candy in his house and it was a rare that he ever found any outside of his home.

Kairi smiled and giggled at the brunette. "What kind of candy?" She asked Riku, hoping that it would be something she liked.

"Lollipops." Was Riku's one word answer. Riku always knew what he wanted. He didn't require any time to think things over. Once he set his mind on something he wanted, he got it. No self-doubt was ever part of the decision.

Kairi smiled wider. She'd only had one lollipop in her life and it was at one of Riku's birthday parties. The island they lived on didn't carry a variety of sweets because most of the islanders were concerned about good health. If there happened to be any goodies around, they were usually adult candies that tasted horrible to the three children or the good ones were sold before Riku could get any money.

"Are there any at the store?" Kairi asked, hoping that she hadn't gotten her hopes up for nothing. However she knew she could trust Riku. He always knew what he was doing.

"I checked a few minutes ago, there's a whole bucket of 'em." The silver-haired boy said, jumping down from the tree. Sora and Kairi jumped off, following his lead.

"We should go now though, they'll be gone soon."

Sora and Kairi nodded, each of them stepping beside their older friend so that he was between them.

"What colors do they have?" Sora asked, looking up at his slightly taller friend.

"Yeah, what colors?" Kairi repeated, also looking up at the eight year old.

"All kinds. Purple, blue, red, orange, green…even black!" Riku said, counting off on his fingers.

"Black?! Ugh!" Sora said, kicking a lone rock in the sand. "I wonder what that tastes like."

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out." Riku said, shuddering.

"I bet it turns your mouth black." Kairi said, thinking about her mouth going black. Her mom would probably faint if she saw her like that.

"Of course it turns your mouth black, stupid. It's black!" Riku said, rolling his eyes and giving Kairi a little nudge.

Sora frowned and jabbed Riku in the arm. "Hey, Kairi's not stupid." He said, protectively.

Riku glanced at him and rolled his eyes again. "Here we are." He said, switching the subject as they approached the candy shop.

"Whoa!" Sora said, looking inside the barrel in the window of the small store. "How could I ever choose with all those colors?" He asked himself out loud.

Riku looked at the barrel for a second and then got an idea. "We'll all get the color of our hair." He said, pulling out a whitish colored one.

Kairi looked up and smiled. "Okay." She said, grabbing a red one.

Sora wrinkled his nose when he pulled out a brown lollipop. "I don't know Riku…this doesn't look too tasty."

Riku glanced at Sora's candy and nodded. "Neither does mine."

Kairi looked at her color and grinned. Hers looked good.

"How about you get blue." Sora said, looking at Riku's hair. "Your hair is sort of bluish…"

Riku nodded, pulling out a blue. The blue looked much tastier than the white. "How about you get orange." He said, pulling out an orange lollipop. "It's…kind of like your hair." He said after a minute.

Sora looked at the orange and grinned. "Yeah, sort of kinda."

After a few deliberations on other colors, the three headed to the front of the store with their choices. Riku purchased the lollipops and immediately stuck his inside his mouth the minute he passed the few coins across the countertop.

"Blueberry." He said, tasting it.

"Let me taste!" Sora said, reaching for the blue lollipop. All three of them didn't care about germs. They were kids, and this was what kids did.

Sora tasted and smiled. "Taste's good." He said, sticking his own lollipop in his mouth before handing Riku's back.

"It's only fair if I get a taste of yours." Riku said, folding his arms as a signal of his waiting for Sora to pass his treat.

"Oh yeah." Sora said, handing his over. Kairi giggled and licked her own, smiling at the taste.

"Strawberry." She said, licking hers before giving both Sora and Riku a taste.

"And I have orange." The brunette stated, taking his back into his mouth.

The three made there way back to the beach, each relishing their own little treat. They never again deliberated on colors. Riku always got blue, Kairi always got red and Sora always got orange. That was the way it was for everything, from toy balls to future mp3 players to first cars and then to first homes.

It was their connection. Their secret code. But most importantly, it was the symbol of their friendship. The symbol of their unity as best friends. Even when they separated, the colors always followed them. Red would always remind the boys of Kairi, and Orange and Blue would always remind Kairi of the boys.

It was the way they liked it.

XxX

"What's up guys?"I ask, jumping up to sit on the leaning tree Riku is reclining against. Sora also is also sitting on the tree, staring out at the ocean.

"Nothing much." Riku says, sighing. Long gone were the feelings of inferiority that came to him 17 years ago when he was an eight year old boy. He no longer was bothered by someone being taller than him. He had had to learn how to deal with it when Sora sprung past him at the age of 16.

I smile at them, remembering our younger days when we were all so care-free and unburdened. Those days are long gone, but somehow I can still taste it. It comes in the form of a hard candy.

"Remember these?" Riku says, tossing something at me and Sora. I catch the object that was thrown at me and look down. I smile, and glance at Sora who lets out a chuckle.

"Lollipops, Riku?" He asks, unwrapping his. "It's been a long time."

I unwrap mine and give a soft smile as a see the same bright red from so long ago. I pop it in my mouth and savor the taste. It tastes like childhood. It tastes like laughter and smiles. It tastes like happiness. But the taste of friendship overpowers all of the other tastes.

"Strawberry." I say, out loud.

"Blueberry." Riku says, popping his blue lollipop into his mouth.

"And orange." Sora finishes, leaning back onto his back so his long legs dangle from the tree.

And that's how it will always be.

_Kairi, Riku and Sora._

_Strawberry, Blueberry and Orange._

A/N: Ah, cute. Review please.

Peace


End file.
